Worlds United
by autobotgirl12328
Summary: After the final adventure between the chosen travelers (Worlds Apart Series), the walls of the worlds had been closed for good. Or so it was hoped. Worlds are dying and it will take a new set of heroes to find a way to stop it, before nothing's left.
1. Starting over once again

A/N

Greetings and bienvenue! This is to (possibly...hopefully) be a sequel series to the "Worlds Apart" series. While my goal is make this a unique read that can stand alone, it might be helpful to read the previous three books in order to get some of my subtle nudges or original characters. Not sure if I'll keep this on here but if I get a good response, we'll see!

Starting over once again

Bumblebee had this odd feeling deep down. Maybe it was just the idea of adjusting back to quiet. It'd been a while since the team got to just sit down and do nothing. A little driving, a little sparing, some fun and commotion. Bee sighed, looking around at the others. Sideswipe and Strongarm were fighting over Primus knows what. Since it had not escalated to violence or something that could cause more problems, he didn't see a need to stop it. After all, they needed to solve their own arguments every now and then. Changing his direction, he spotted Grimlock towering behind Drift. The latter looked annoyed as the Dinobot talked about nothing in particular. Bee chuckled to himself. How did this team even function?

 _"_ _Lieutenant?"_

Bee perked, tapping his comm.

"What's up, Fixit?"

 _"_ _I'm…not sure, lieutenant. It might be better to blow_ _ ***zip***_ _crow_ _ ***zip***_ _show!"_

Bee sighed, moving toward the command center. Spotting Bumblebee on the move, Strongarm was quick to push Sideswipe aside to follow. Feeling their argument wasn't finished, Sideswipe stormed after, shouting at her, not that she cared. Seeing a means of escape, Drift ran to join the others, with Grimlock happily following him. Soon, the entire team was lined up in front of the command center. Fixit looked around with a grin, being the center of attention.

"What's wrong, Fixit?" Bee sighed.

"Decepticons?" grinned Grimlock, punching one fist into the palm of the other.

"Well," Fixit shrugged, "I'm not entirely sure what it is."

"What do you mean?" Strongarm perked.

"I mean, the signal is distorted and hardly staying in focus," grumbled the minicon, tapping at his controls. "It _is_ Cybertronian though."

"So, it _could_ be a Decepticon?" Grimlock mumbled.

"Either way," Bumblebee nodded. "It's worth checking out. The distortion could mean whoever they are is in need of help. Where to, Fixit?"

"I already have the coordinates in the ground bridge, sir!"

The ground bridge surged, rattling as it turned on, revealing a swirling light in the center. It changed the air pressure, pulling a strong wind inward. Standing out in front of the group, Bee nodded, glancing back.

"Let's rev up and roll out, team!"

Transforming, the group charged forward, Grimlock taking up the back in dino form. Fixit shut the bridge down. As the system shut down, the control console began flickering. The symbols changed, shifting in form and color. Fixit grumbled, smashing a hand over it. The loud slam seemed to have corrected the problem as the right set of information displayed.

Meanwhile, team bee arrived in the middle of nowhere, a preferable location for robots in disguise. Transforming back, Bee tapped his comm link.

"Fixit, which way are we heading?"

"I…can't get a lock. I'm sorry, Lieutenant."

Bee sighed, turning back to his team. After all they'd been through, this hardly seemed like a mission, more like a temporary fix to a larger boredom.

"Fan out. Whoever we're looking for is around here somewhere," he instructed, motioning outward. "Don't engage." He looked directly at Grimlock. "Call for backup and we'll deal with this together. Autobot or Decepticon, I'd rather we didn't make things worse."

"But what if it _is_ an Autobot?" whimpered Strongarm. "If they need immediate medical attention, shouldn't we provide it?"

Bee groaned slightly, looking away. If it was an Autobot in need of help, they should engage, but if it was a Decepticon, they shouldn't go in alone. It was hard to make a good decision when he didn't know what they were up against. With a sigh, he looked back at them.

"Call in then help if they need it, okay?" Bee nodded. "But _be_ careful!"

With that, the team dispersed. There wasn't much cover, mostly dust and dirt. There were a few patches of trees, but hardly anything that would be enough to hide an entire Cybertronian. Bee was sure to check those patches of woods anyway. The greenery was a nice change from the rest of the brown area. After what felt like hours, Bee decided to check in on the others.

"Anyone got anything?"

 _"_ _Just a lot of nothing."_ Sideswipe, Bee noted.

 _"_ _How long do we have to do this, again?"_ Grimlock.

 _"_ _Until we find the source of that signal. Though at this point, the signal may be a false alarm."_ Drift.

 _"_ _I haven't found anyone but…"_

"But?" perked Bee. "Strongarm, did you find something?"

 _"_ _Not sure. It's just a bunch of circles and lines in the dirt."_

Bee stopped, looking down at his feet. Similar circles were drawn across the dirt, linked and unlinked by skinny lines. Some were connected to only one circle while others were connected to several. Following the diagram, he noted a larger circle, with another circle inside. Everything branched from there. Bee looked up, spotting another wooded area.

"I think I'm onto something," he whispered into the comm. "Let's meet up at my coordinates."

He stepped into the small forest, stepping around some of the circles and lines. Walking alongside them, he noticed that some of the circles had been rubbed out along with the lines. The further he got from the larger circle, the less circles there were. Eventually, there weren't any left, with a single line continuing into the woods. Bee followed it, ending at the feet of another bot. It was a rather short bot, white armor plates and golden joints. His purple optics looked down as his finger traced the dirt. Mud, dirt and leaves were caked onto him, hiding any hope of identification marking. As Bee stepped up to him, he looked up with a tilted head.

"Uh…hello?" Bumblebee waved. "Um…who are you? What are doing way out here?"

The bot got to his feet, stepping forward. Bee watched as the other shambled forward, displaying a badly damaged portion of his ankle joint. Bee held out his arms, catching the mysterious bot before he completely fell over. He lifted his head and looked at Bumblebee, again tilting his head slightly. He offered a childish smile. Bee set the bot back upright.

"Can you understand me?" groaned Bumblebee, taking his hands away slightly to see if the bot could stand on his own.

"Shattered," the bot whispered, optics widened. "Gone. They're gone. Shattered. Disconnected. End. End. End."

Bee covered the mouth of the other as he began repeating the word. He sighed. Processor damage, probably severe seeing as his signal was flickering as horrible as Fixit had described. Strongarm and Sideswipe came up behind him, peeking around him to see the other bot.

"So, this what we came for?" Sideswipe hummed, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," groaned Bee.

"Why are you covering his mouth?" Strongarm perked, pointing at the bot.

Bee removed his hand, allowing the bot to repeat "end" a few more times before covering the mouth again. Sideswipe and Strongarm exchanged looks. Bee shrugged. Drift and Grimlock stepped up behind them. Grimlock rushed around, stepping behind the bot. He looked around, trying to find an insignia.

"So, is he a Con?" murmured Grimlock, looking over at Bumblebee.

"He's covered in so much mud, it's impossible to tell," grumbled Strongarm, crossing her arms. "He needs a car wash."

"I don't think he's a car," grinned Sideswipe, pulling on the wings attached to the bot. "How many flying Autobots you know?"

"Windblade," huffed Strongarm. "I don't think you should judge a bot based on their alt mode, anyway."

Sideswipe rolled his eyes, stepping away.

"Let's get him back to the scrapyard. Maybe Fixit can find out what's wrong with him," Bee nodded.

Something felt off as Bee looked at him. He felt it in his spark. It brought up memories of Optimus and team Prime. Looking into the other's optics, he could almost see the war right before him. Why did this bot make him feel so uncomfortable?


	2. Change is on the Wind

A/N

For Nightwolf014

Worlds United

Change is on the wind

Bringing the bot back to the scrapyard proved to be surprisingly difficult. Trying to herd him was nearly impossible as he would wander off easily. If one of them were to try to keep him on a set path, he would be slow, making it hard to keep in pace with him and the rest of the team. Eventually, it was just a matter of grabbing him by the arm and dragging him along until they reached a good point for the ground bridge to reach them. Finally reaching the scrapyard, they sat the bot down in front of the command center.

"Fixit," groaned Sideswipe. "Please tell me there's a way to fix him, because I don't want to babysit this guy."

Fixit wheeled down from command center, spinning around the bot. The latter tried to keep an eye on Fixit but found it hard once the minicon got behind him. The scanner beeped several times, frequency changing from occasional to rapidly in seconds. Fixit nodded to himself, glancing between the scanner and the bot, humming slightly. Sideswipe tapped his foot. Strongarm crossed her arms. Bumblebee sighed, coughing subtly to gain the minicon's attention.

"Anything?" Bee sighed.

"Well yes…and no," nodded Fixit, rolling back to the command center. "The signal isn't fixed."

"How can it not be fixed? He's sitting right there," snapped Strongarm, motioning to the bot. He had begun drawing in the dirt.

"He is and he isn't," remarked Fixit.

"What?" the three gaped.

"It's almost as if he's phase gifting * ** _zip_ ***lifting * **zip** * shifting!"

"Can you figure out how?" Bee mumbled. Somehow, phase shifting didn't surprise him all that much.

"I can't be sure…" Fixit muttered. "Some of the scans aren't conclusive. It'll take some time for me to…"

"You do that," suggested Bee, "in the meantime, let's clean this bot up and see if we can find anything out about him."

"I'll get the hose!" cheered Grimlock, running off.

"Ask Denny first!" called Bee.

Bee turned back to the bot sitting and drawing circles in the dirt. He still had that odd feeling in his chest, a sense of something bigger going on and the urge to get rid of this bot as soon as possible. He tilted his head, folding his arms as he watched the bot repeated draw circles, connecting them with lines and then smudging several of the lines out.

"What is he doing?" snapped Strongarm.

"He was doing this out there too," Bee nodded. "It must mean something…"

"Looks like circles," commented Sideswipe.

"Thank you for that insight," huffed Strongarm.

"Got any other ideas?"

"Not about the circles…"

The two got close, optics narrowed and bodies tightening. Before engaging in combat, they both looked over to their commander, who stood seemingly oblivious to their infighting. He stood, one hand resting under his chin, optics entirely focused on the bot. The two relaxed.

"Are you alright, lieutenant?" hummed Strongarm.

Bee perked, looking at them. "Huh? Oh, yeah…I'm fine." He looked back.

"You don't seem alright," Sideswipe added.

"Something about him…" Bee mumbled, shaking his head, "seems familiar…Like I've meet someone like him before…and it didn't end well."

"So, he is Con?"

Grimlock had returned with the hose. Bee shook his head. It didn't feel like that. Even if he was a Con, he didn't act that one or at least was damaged enough that that didn't matter. Grimlock aimed the hose, offering a thumbs-up back to Russell on the other end. After a moment of nothing, water began spewing. Grimlock directed the water, showering the bot, who flinched and muttered as he was sprayed.

"Well that got his attention," chuckled Sideswipe.

Bee watched as some of the mud and leaves slowly began to slip off, revealing more of the white armor. There was a moment of calm anticipation, waiting for an insignia to appear. As they waited, Bee tried to focus on the feeling, the memory that was trying to break free and rise to the surface. It was something obscure, something out of the way. Something that was locked away by another force.

"What's that?" gasped Sideswipe.

At last the muck has washed away, revealing a red Decepitcon logo. Grimlock dropped the hose. Sideswipe and Strongarm pulled out their weapons. Bee remained still, watching the startled bot return to his work as the water had washed away the previous rendition. The team waited for Bee to respond.

"So, he is a Con," grinned Grimlock.

"Now what?" gaped Strongarm.

"Honestly," Sideswipe sighed, lowering his blade. "Can't fight a guy who doesn't even seem to know where he is…"

"Well…" Strongarm mumbled, lowering her gun.

"So…not fighting?" Grimlock whimpered.

"Lieutenant?"

The memory was close, he could feel it. Something was dislodging.

"He's not a Decepticon," Bee spoke softly, stepping forward.

"What?" perked the three.

"But he's got an insignia!" shouted Sideswipe.

"Albeit, the wrong color," commented Strongarm.

"Exactly," Bee remarked. "And I remember hearing about a purple Autobot one."

"What?" Grimlock lamented.

"This guy's from another world…" mutter Bee, mostly to himself. "I remember now…"

"Remember what?" snapped Sideswipe.

"The craziest story I've ever heard," Bee grinned, kneeling before the bot. "I remember meeting bots from other worlds. Other Autobots. They were fighting an Autobot who wasn't an Autobot…time travel, alternate histories…another Optimus!"

The bot siting looked up, meeting Bee's eyes. The latter grinned, finally able to remember what had been on the tip of his processor this entire time. Parts of it were still a blur but he could picture it. Alternate realities. Alternate versions. A Decepticon that wasn't a Decepticon.

"I'm sorry. I'm lost," commented Strongarm.

"It's all…complicated," sighed Bee, standing up. "But this guy is technically what we would consider an Autobot. He's from a different…dimension."

Fixit offered a hum. "That would explain his phase shifting. If he came to this world unconventionally…"

"Can we stabilize him?" questioned Bee.

"I…" stuttered Fixit. Sideswipe gently tapped him. "I'm unsure. At this rate, his signal is degrading so fast, he might fade from our reality."

"How soon?" Bee perked.

"I can't be cure **_*zip*_** spur **_*zip*_** sure!"

"End…"

Bee glanced down. It had been a while since their mystery bot had spoken, not that he was much for conversation. The bot was peering up at Bumblebee, sitting remarkably still. His finger had just finished drawing a circle's connecting line, smudging the middle of it.

"Gone…"

"What's gone?" whispered Bee, kneeling again and placing a hand on the other's shoulder. "What's happening?"

"Disconnected cannot survive…"

A surprisingly complete sentence.

"Lieutenant!"

Bee could see the bot fading, his transparency rising. The reason for Fixit's callout was the transparency spreading across Bee's arm. He couldn't remove his hand. The bot remained unaware of his spreading condition, focus entirely on Bee. The lieutenant turned, glancing between his team. They were fading. The scrapyard was disappearing. Soon, everything was replaced with an open desert.


	3. The Cards Will Treat Me Well

Worlds United

The cards will treat me well

Bumblebee looked around at the nothingness that surrounded him. A vast desert, not uncommon on Earth. He'd been to one or two in his lifetime after all. This one felt different though. Something felt off and out of place. Bee turned back to the babbling bot in front of him. He seemed out of sorts as he looked over the landscape.

"Lost…" he mumbled.

"No kidding," hummed Bee, hands on his hips.

Surveying the area was easy enough. There was a whole lot of nothing in every direction. The other bot began drawing his circles in the dust. Bee sighed, looking up at the sky. Visual was leading to nowhere, moving to plan B: radio signals. Bee tapped his comms, greeted by static. He groaned, tapping again.

"This is Lieutenant Bumblebee. Fixit, do you copy? Strongarm? Sideswipe? Anyone?" Static continued to blare. Bee sighed, glancing down at the other bot. Another tap on the comm. systems. "Time to throw the net a little wider…This is Lieutenant Bumblebee playing on Autobot frequency, if anyone can read me, please respond."

Silence. Somehow it was worse than static. Bee sighed, shaking his head down at the bot with hands on his hips again.

"Looks like it might just be the two of us," offered Bee, placing a hand on the other's shoulder. "Time to get up, buddy."

"Time…running out…" he muttered, shaking slightly.

"I know, I know," nodded Bee, helping the other do his feet. "I wish I knew what you mean by that."

"Autobot…" the bot pointed up.

Bee spun around, peering up at the sky. It was a clear day, making it all the more obvious at the bright red jet shooting across the sky. Instinctually, Bee reached for his holster. The other bot gripped onto Bee's arm, fingers tightly wound around the latter's arm.

"Hey!" gasped Bee, trying to shake the other off.

"Autobot! Friend!" shouted the bot, shaking Bee.

"Friend?" whispered Bee, looking up again.

The plane was circling back around, lowering itself. Coming into view, Bee grinned. The reds blended with blue and black into a familiar alt mode. The blades whirled down as she transformed, skidding toward Bee. Keeping with the momentum of her landing, she skipped forward, embracing Bumblebee in a hug.

"Bumblebee! You're here!" she cheered.

"Windblade!" Bee chuckled, gently pushing her back.

"What are you doing…here?" she seemed to hesitate, taking Bee in. "You look…"

Bee glanced down at Windblack. While she was still Windblade, her colors, stance and even her optics seemed…different. She looked over Bee in the same manner. The height, colors, his voice…it was Bumblebee, but at the same time it wasn't. They stepped away from each other. Bee watched as Windblade drew her blade.

"You're not Bumblebee," she snarled.

"I am!" gasped Bee, hand nearing his holster. "I don't want to fight you, Windblade."

"You sent a distress beacon on the Autobot frequency?"

"Yes. I couldn't contact my team."

"The Ark?"

"The Ark? No…there seems to be a huge misunderstanding here," offered Bee, raising his hands. It was at this moment he noticed the mystery bot still clinging his arm.

"Then explain it to me," Windblade ordered, stepping toward them. "Who are and who is your friend here?"

"I'm telling the truth. My name is Lieutenant Bumblebee. I think I've been transported…somewhere or when, I'm not sure. It didn't feel like a Ground Bridge or a Space Bridge but something different."

"And him?" Windblade gestured to the clinging bot.

"I think he's the one who transported me. I'm not sure how. I don't know who he is…I'm not sure _he_ knows who he is."

" _He_ transported you?" Windblade hummed, lowering her sword as she approached. "He doesn't…"

She reached out a hand toward him. Bee felt the bot's hand tighten as he pulled away from Windblade's reach. Seeing his response, Windblade withdrew her hand. She looked solemnly up at Bee. He shrugged.

"He's…not all there," chuckled Bee.

"So, you don't know anything about him? About how you came here?"

"I'm sorry, Windblade. I wish I had more answers," sighed Bee, trying his best to get the bot to stop clinging to him.

"Maybe," grinned Windblade, stepping back. "We could try something else."

"Like…?"

Windblade dug into a compartment, pulling free a large cord. Bee felt the flash of memories before jumping back. The bot staggered to keep ahold of Bee, pulling the arm close. Windblade held up a hand, trying to calm the two of them.

"Whoa, whoa! Calm down!" she prompted. "It's just a…"

"Cortical Psychic Patch!" gasped Bee, holding up a hand as well. "We are not using that thing!"

"It's the best way to get both of us in his head. You use the patch and I can use my city speaker ability to…"

"No!" shouted Bee. "I am…not doing that again."

"What's the worst that could happen?" hummed Windblade, stepping closer.

"Their mind could cross over into my body, slowly seizing control under I am left a prisoner in my own body as I watch him destroy my friends…" muttered Bee, giving direct eye contact with her.

"Wow…like, just, wow. Did that happen to you?" gasped Windblade.

"I don't want to talk about," whimpered Bee.

"I promise, Bee," Windblade sighed, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I won't let anything happen to you. I mean, we're…" She paused, slowly pulling her hands away. "Right, you're not…"

"And you're not…" mumbled Bee, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand. "This…is confusing."

"No kidding," chuckled Windblade. "But…you know me. I mean, you called me by name."

"And you know me," Bee smiled. "So clearly we're friends in this reality."

"And yours."

Bee nodded. Windblade chuckled. The mysterious bot hung between them, looking at each carefully. Eventually, the smaller bot tapped the cord.

"Mind?" he muttered.

"Yes," Windblade nodded. "Exactly!"

Bee watched as Windblade connected the cord to the back of the other bot's head. He felt the need to run as she waved the other end toward him. He grimaced. Windblade offered a warm smile as well as a hand on his shoulder.

"I got you, Bee," she smiled. "Nothing could possibly go wrong this time."

"If you say so," sighed Bumblebee, taking the cord from her hand.

He felt the cord connect to his central processor. It whirled in the back of his as the two ends of the cord connected. He felt the patch taking effect. Windblade held him up long enough to ease him to the ground. She continued to offer him a warm smile.

"Last time I did this…it did not end well…" Bee groaned, shutting his optics.

"This time, I got your back," Windblade nodded.

Bee tried to smile but everything faded out quick. He knew he was should trust her, but that memory was hard to ignore.


	4. The Whole Being Dead Thing

Worlds United

The Whole Being Dead Thing

Bee opened his optics quickly. The world around him was like a shattered mirror. Holes opened into a black abyss below. Stumbling to keep his balance on the delicate shard of mind he'd spawned on, he spotted the mystery bot across from him, facing a dimly lit wall. Bee groaned, looking around.

 _"_ _Bee, look!"_

Bee spun around, spotting a ghostly figure of Windblade hovering beside him. She was pointing to a sliver of mind not far from his. He glanced between her and sliver of what could be considered land her.

"You can't be serious," Bee groaned, looking to her. "What am I supposed to do? Jump?"

She smiled.

"This isn't fair," he huffed, turning back to his target.

The sliver of foggy mind wasn't far. Bee scuffled to the farthest reach of his platform as he could before running to the edge and jumping. Windblade gasped, reaching out while he was mind air. He landed hard but continued with a leap to the next landing. Windblade hovered toward him as he reached the largest platform with the mystery bot. The latter didn't even bother to turn around.

 _"_ _You could've paused between jumps, you know."_

"Where's the fun in that," Bee grinned. "How are you doing that ghost thing?"

 _"_ _I'm a city speaker. Do they not have those where you come from?"_

"Not sure," Bee shrugged, moving toward the bot. "Never came up."

Bee looked up at the large wall. It was the only large piece of mind left unbroken, though it wasn't without some cracks, large ones at that. Bee stepped up beside the other bot, Windblade hovering behind them.

"Uh…hello?" mumbled Bee.

"Oh, hi," was the solemn response, without a glance.

"What is this?" Bee whispered, looking up at the wall.

"A universe map."

 _"_ _A what?"_

The bot let out a deep sigh, turning to address the two. He looked tired.

"A universe map. It took centuries the map and now," he gestured to the cracks and flickering lights. "Now…it means nothing!"

 _"_ _What do you mean?"_

"Who are you?" mumbled Bee, motioning to the bot.

"Who am I?" the bot whimpered, turning back to the wall. "I've lost track of that…"

 _"_ _The lights…they're going out…"_

"What does that mean?" gasped Bee, reaching out toward the other. His hand slipped right through him.

"The universe is dying," the bot spoke flatly. "Without connecting the heart…" He pointed to the center of the map. A large light surrounded by a thin strip of white. "Everything dies."

 _"_ _Then all we have to do is reconnect to the center."_

The bot let out a loud laugh.

"As if it were that simple," he yawned. "I'm so…tired…"

"Let us help you," begged Bee. "Tell us who you are, where you're trying to go!"

"My name…" the bot muttered. "Techno Storm."

Parts of the mind cracked, more pieces falling into the abyss below. Techno Storm let out a deep sigh. More lights faded. Windblade lowered herself, standing beside Bee.

 _"_ _There must be something we can, Techno Storm."_

"There is."

"What?" perked Bee.

Techno Storm spun around, turning to Bee. He could feel the mind shaking as if more on the verge of collapse than normal. Techno Storm frowned.

"Get out of my head!" he screamed, shoving Bee backward.

 _"_ _Bee!"_

Windblade reached out by failed to catch Bee. His form dissolved, and suddenly Bee sat up back in the desert. He gasped, looking around. Panic. It felt like he'd fallen through several worlds before ending up sitting here. Windblade appeared beside him, holding him up as his systems heaved from the sudden awakening.

"Bee, it's okay! It's okay!" comforted Windblade. "I'm right here."

"What…what just happened?" Bee gasped, leaning forward. "Did he just…"

"Mind…"

The two looked up, seeing the bot standing awkwardly in front of them. He twiddled his thumbs, avoiding eye contact.

"Techno Storm," whispered Windblade, holding out a hand.

"Mine…Remember…" Techno Storm whimpered, taking her hand and sitting down. "Out…"

"Right," Windblade nodded.

"We're sorry for entering your mind," sighed Bee, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You just…don't give us a lot to work worth."

"Fading…" Techno Storm muttered.

"Bee!" gasped Windblade.

Bee glanced down at Windblade's hand, holding onto Techno Storm. It was happening again. Techno Storm was fading and taking Windblade and him along for the ride. Bee tightened his grip on Techno Storm, looking to Windblade.

"Don't let go!" he ordered.

"What's happening!?"

"We're transporting…"


	5. World Still Full of Light

A/N

For ApritelloForever

Worlds United

World Still Full of Light

The shifting breeze of the open desert switched to the low hum of an engine beneath the metal floors. Windblade steadied herself, turning to Bumblebee. Techno Storm pulled away from the two, shuffling away, but Windblade was quick to grab him by the wrist.

"Now, where are we?" gasped Windblade, trying to take in the nondescript hall.

"Don't know, but we should probably find somewhere to hide. I'd rather not run into someone who knows another me," Bee grumbled, peering around the corner. "There's a door over here. Let's see where it goes."

"What if there's someone in there?"

"We'll knock first," winked Bee, rounding the corner.

Windblade chuckled, dragging Techno Storm. This may not be her Bee, but he wasn't far off. The way he walked, his jokes, it was like a mirror. It made her smile. She missed Bumblebee and maybe this is some weird sign that she'll bump into her world's version soon. She stepped up behind Bee, listening to him knock on the door. Silence. Bee glanced at Windblade. After a reassuring nod, Bee opened the door.

The room was too large to be a bedroom but too small to be a command center. Based on the equipment, Bee reckoned this was a lab of some kind. The lack of spare berths meant it wasn't a medical one, leaving it to be a science lab. Computers, scattered components, reminded him of…

Windblade listened to Bee audibly sigh as the doors closed behind them. He looked distantly at the devices and whatnot. She released Techno Storm, placing a hand on Bee's shoulder.

"You okay?"

Bee spun around.

"Huh? Oh yeah, I'm fine. Just…remembering an old friend I haven't talked to in a while…probably should've stayed in touch better than I did," Bee nodded.

"I know how you feel," she nodded. "So, now what? We wait for him to…jump again?"

"Basically…it'll probably happen mid conversation," Bee hummed, looking around some more.

"Based on hum, we're flying," Windblade offered. "How high up do you think we are? Space even?"

"Hard to say," Bee shrugged, fiddling with some spare parts. "Man, I haven't flown on a ship in ages. Just ground or space bridge everywhere."

"Same."

Bee and Windblade jumped, listening to the sound of approaching footsteps. The soft clanks of bots coming close echoed as Bee and Windblade exchanged glances. Techno Storm ducked under a table, peering out from behind the leg. Windblade pulled her blade, raising it.

"Don't!" gasped Bee, reaching out.

"What?" snapped Windblade.

"First, we don't they're Cons. Second, we're the trespassers…" Bee spoke flatly, lowering Windblade's arm.

"Fine."

"Let's take a note from our crazy bot here and duck," Bee offered, ushering them back.

They stepped back as the doors opened. The two bots entered, oblivious to Bee and Windblade's existence. They seemed deep in conversation as they walked into the lab and the doors shut behind them. Windblade glared at Bee as the two froze in place. Even if they ducked in time, they were far more noticeable than the white painted Techno Storm. Windblade recognized one of the bots who entered as Perceptor, though his armor was slightly different. The blue one spotted them first though.

"Uh…"

Perceptor looked up from the conversation, spotting Bee and Windblade. He jerked back, slamming the panel beside the door. The blue raised his arms with a tilted head.

"This…is unexpected…" the blue grinned.

"What is going on here!" snapped Perceptor.

"Perceptor…" muttered Techno Storm, peering from under the table.

"I'm calling Ultra Magnus," Perceptor shook his head.

"You look like Bumblebee…but you don't look like Bumblebee," continued the blue, pointing to Bee. He turned, pointing to Windblade. "You _definitely_ look like Windblade."

Perceptor stopped, looking between the two. He grumbled under his breath, stepping back up beside the blue.

"I _am_ Bumblebee, and this _is_ Windblade," Bee offered, gesturing between the two of them. "We're…from a different dimension."

"We just…I'm not in the mood for another adventure…I just want to stay back for once," sighed Perceptor, throwing his hands up exasperated. "I just…I can't. Brainstorm, this is your problem."

Brainstorm bobbed on his feet, clapping his hands together. Perceptor slumped into a chair. Brainstorm practically leapt forward, dancing around the two and speaking faster than either could process before falling to his hands and knees to reach eyelevel with Techno Storm.

"He's a Decepticon, with a red logo? How interesting!" Brainstorm finally spoke at a reasonable speed.

"Look, we're sorry for intruding," Bee offered, gesturing between Perceptor and Brainstorm.

"We didn't have much of choice," Windblade nodded. "Our transport is a little random."

"Transport?" perked Brainstorm, appearing in front of Windblade faster than she realized. His optics were wide. "How did you transport between dimensions? I know it's possible - I've done it. I've made it – but you don't seem to be carrying anything…"

"Wait, you've traveled between dimensions?" gasped Bee, stepping beside him. "Like, on purpose? Intended destination?"

"Not quite," mumbled Brainstorm, stepping back. "It was intended to be a teleporter back to Cybertron, but…wrong Cybertron."

"Still impressive though," Perceptor pipped up, "Just like the Time Machine…"

"You've made a Time Machine!" Bee grinned.

"Back to the point," Windblade chuckled, "Our transporter is that bot down there. He goes at random, and we don't know where we end up."

"Really?" purred Brainstorm, kneeling beside Techno Storm again. "I wonder how he manages that…"

"I just wish we knew where he was trying to go," Windblade nodded.

Brainstorm perked, jumping up. He turned to Perceptor, grinning under his faceplate. Perceptor shook his head, shoving out of the chair and hurrying toward the door. Upon unlocking the door, Brainstorm had his arms around his partner, escorting him back into the lab.

"We could totally make something that redirects that energy!" cheered Brainstorm, sliding Perceptor forward. "Redirecting and channeling that energy to lead us wherever this lil guy wants to go."

"We?" shouted Perceptor.

"Us?" gasped Bee and Windblade.

"We're all in this together now," giggled Brainstorm, jumping across the lab. "First, we just need to register the energy and then…"

Bee lost track of Brainstorm's conversation, listening to the random scientific nonsense the blue bot was spatting. Between parts of the conversation, Brainstorm would lean over to drag Perceptor back to the table. Windblade chuckled. She'd never seen Perceptor in quite the relationship as the bittersweet association taking place in front of her.

"Can you bring him over?" Brainstorm prompted, gesturing to Techno Storm.

Bee looked over to the still huddled bot. As they met optics, Techno Storm shook his head. Bee rolled his eyes, shuffling over and reaching down.

"C'mon, Techno Storm," Bee sighed. "They're nice guys, I think."

"Based on the Perceptor in my world, I can vouch for this guy," Windblade nodded, kneeling beside Bee. "And I don't think the other guy is all that bad. I bit excitable but…not bad."

"Perceptor," whispered Techno Storm, peering out again.

"Do you…know Perceptor?" perked Bee, glancing back.

"A Perceptor?" corrected Windblade.

Techno Storm paused, looking back to the two lab rats talking, before nodding. He smiled lightly. Bee grinned in response, holding out a hand.

"Then you know he's good."

Techno Storm took his hand, getting up from under the table. Windblade and Bumblebee brought Techno Storm up to Brainstorm and Perceptor, allowing the former to place a large harness onto him. Techno Storm jittered, glancing back at Bee. Windblade patted him on the back.

"What is this thing?" huffed Bee, watching Brainstorm hook up straps around the waist.

"It should register the energy levels and allow us to redirect or channel the energy properly!" explained Brainstorm, stepping back to admire his rush job.

"Should?" Windblade asked.

"It was a rush job," sighed Perceptor, walking away again. "I'm too old for this…"

The harness' straps along the arms began to glow, revealing to be pipes to the center piece, a large concave circle with pulsing epicenter light. Techno Storm whimpered, looking around. Bee placed a hand on one shoulder, Windblade did the same on the other side. Brainstorm leaned in, adjusting the straps again.

"Techno Storm," whispered Bee, "Where are you trying to go?"

The lights grew brighter, changing from soft white to green. Techno Storm's optics widened, staring forward. His body stiffened, and for the first time, he was absolutely still. With a deep sigh, he shut his eyes. The center light stopped pulsing, stopping on an overpowering glow. Bee tightened his grip, nodding to Windblade.

Perceptor watched as they began fading, and the split-second Brainstorm realized it and grabbed tightly onto Techno Storm's arm. The group faded without a sound. Perceptor groaned, leaning back in his chair. While he wasn't a part of this adventure, he would have to tell Rodimus.


	6. Sword of Damocles

Worlds United

Sword of Damocles

The world was white, vacant aside from the four that spawned into its nothingness. Bumblebee felt the cracking of the ground beneath his feet, peering down at the deepest darkness opened in the tiniest fissures coming from Techno Storm's footing. Windblade placed a hand on Bee. She noticed the cracks as well.

"Well this…" Brainstorm hummed, looking around with hands on his hips. "is not what I was expected. I'm going to be honest, I'm underwhelmed…"

"Here," whispered Techno Storm, stepping forward.

The ground continued to crack with each step he took. The small bot stopped, looking down at his steps and back at the ones he'd taken. His optics drifted to Bumblebee. The latter could see the sense of sorrow, the pain of being unable to express his thoughts properly in this moment. Bee reached out, moving forward.

"Stop!"

Everyone froze, in ridiculous mid movement positions. Techno Storm grinned, turning away from Bee to the voice that had bellowed for them to halt. Bee relaxed, seeing the clear form of Vector Prime approaching. His expression was reminiscent of Optimus, grim in appearance but reassuring nonetheless. The guardian's eyes looked between the group, falling upon Techno Storm. They looked pained by the bot standing there.

"Vector…" grinned Techno Storm, reaching out. "Vector!"

"Opposite…" Vector shook his head. "I mean, Techno Storm. What…what are you doing here? What are _any_ of you doing here!?"

"Vector Prime?" whispered Windblade. "Really?"

"No way…" Bee chuckled.

"I've seen better," mumbled Brainstorm, throwing an arm around Bee's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, what?" snapped Windblade, leaning over Bee.

"I've…seen a lot of things," winked Brainstorm. "My biography could be considered an action movie."

" _None_ of you should be here!" shouted Vector, slamming his sword to the ground with great force the world seemed to shake. "The worlds are closed. Travel is over! You should _not_ be here!"

"I'm sorry, Vector Prime…sir?" Bumblebee mumbled, stepping forward. "We just…came to get help. Techno Storm was transporting and…"

"Transporting?" perked Vector, pushing past Bumblebee to step before Techno Storm. "And this…?" He gestured to the device across the chest. "A…channeling method?"

"Yes!" cheered Brainstorm. "I think it's one of my best works."

Vector stood in silence, staring at Techno Storm. The latter stared back, visibly shaking. The cracks beneath him echoed the abyss below. Vector sighed, looking away.

"None of you…should be here," he repeated, rubbing his chin. "Especially with this power…How…" Vector lifted his head, looking off into the distance. "Perhaps, they…"

"Dying," whimpered Techno Storm, reaching out and grabbing onto Vector's arm.

Vector paused, staring deeply at Techno Storm again. He shook his head before letting out another deep sigh.

"I locked the worlds after the last incident. The chaos a single lost soul can cause across multiple timelines and dimensions," Vector sighed. "I had to be sure everyone would be safe."

"Well, according to crazy here," Windblade prompted, pointing to Techno Storm, "the worlds are dying without connection to something called the heart."

"The heart," nodded Vector, walking around Techno Storm. "The origin point."

"Origin point?" perked Brainstorm, stepping out. "As in, an original world? One where every world spreads out from? Such a thing exists?"

"The original world spreads out, continually creating and destroying worlds, but once a world is made, it should not require the original any longer," Vector argued.

"Well, Techno Storm says otherwise," huffed Windblade. She paused a moment. "Not to argue with you, Vector Prime…"

Vector Prime again stared at Techno Storm.

"It was to save those like you…" whispered Vector, placing a hand on Techno Storm's shoulder. "That I did what I did…but, perhaps, in my haste, I neglected to think of the consequences of my actions."

"What…happened?" mumbled Bumblebee. "What happened that caused all of this!"

Vector nodded, rubbing his chin. He motioned to a large screen, displayed various events.

"I have monitored worlds across time and space, but sometimes, I cannot see everything. During such a time, a runaway…criminal collected Autobots from various worlds. He used them to collect parts for his device, one that would allow him to not only travel across worlds but seek control of them. Sonic Blast…"

Techno Storm snarled, hands clenched. Bee placed a hand on his shoulder but the bot shook is off. The name seemed to ignite a fire inside this bot like no other. Vector nodded.

"Sonic Blast abused this power, and…" Vector gestured to the anger filled bot. "Techno Storm sought to stop him. He warned the travelers and they were able to put a stop to Sonic Blast. I put a stop to him for good until…an energy surge like no other went through the worlds' divide. Unbeknownst to us all, Sonic Blast had been revived…"

"What?" whispered Windblade.

"I…remember his face," mutter Bee, looking around. "I remember…Optimus that wasn't Optimus! I…"

"With his newfound abilities, he killed those that stopped him. The young Prime was the only one who could stop him, and it nearly cost him his life. Your world, Bumblebee, was caught in this ultimate crossfire. When all was done…I sealed them, so that no one like Sonic Blast could rise again."

"What happened to him?" whimpered Brainstorm. "Sonic Blast?"

"You killed him," Windblade answered. She turned to Vector. "Right?"

"Sonic Blast is beyond death," Vector corrected. "Fueled by the connection that transcends all worlds, he has lost such an ability…and perhaps that corruption has spread."

"How?" Bee spoke up, stepping forward.

"There is a connection force in the world and beyond all worlds. The power of the All Spark, the Matrix, Optimus Prime, Autobots against Decepticons…constants in a world. Sometimes, across realities, bonds can be made. The four adventurers for example, formed a bond that transcended this, that even when Sonic Blast killed three, they were able to find each other again." Vector gestured to Techno Storm. "Sonic Blast and Techno Storm were at odds long before the others entered the stage. In my haste, focused on their bond, I neglected to consider this one."

"So, you're trying to say…" Brainstorm nodded, moving next to Bee. "Is that because Sonic Blast was charged with this 'energy' that Techno Storm was as well?"

"Perhaps," Vector moved. "Techno Storm must have absorbed some of Sonic Blast's powers…and madness. Broken, uncertain, without the same motive that fueled Sonic Blast to destruction."

"And he went looking for you…for answers," continued Windblade, taking her place beside Bee.

"If Techno Storm is correct," Vector proclaimed, stepping toward his monitor, "and the worlds are dying, they require recharge, which is not an easy task."

"Aren't you the master of time and space?" huffed Brainstorm. "Can't you just, like, snap and fix things?"

"You…are a scientist, aren't you?" Vector grinned. "You remind me of Perceptor."

"Perceptor?" perked Brainstorm.

"One version of him, at least," winked Vector. "Now, to reestablish the connection properly, we will need something incredibly powerful."

"What was the energy before? The one that resurrected Sonic Blast?" Bee offered. "Would that work?"

"While the Prime connection is power, it nearly killed the young Prime beforehand, and even still, I'm afraid it will not be powerful enough for this problem."

"What about a Prime and a Megatron?" chuckled Brainstorm. "Equal and opposite forces?"

"As if _any_ Megatron would be willing to work with us?" snapped Windblade.

"Megatron…" Techno Storm hummed, pointing to his logo.

"No, Opposite, we will need a willing Megatron opposite of willing Optimus. If both are peace seekers, it will not work," Vector sighed. "You are suggesting a Megatron willing to cooperate with us."

"Well," Brainstorm bobbed, swinging an arm over Vector's shoulder to the best of his ability. "Would a Megatron turned Autobot, count?"

"Turned Autobot?" gasped Windblade and Bumblebee.

"You are referring to your world's Megatron," nodded Vector, slipping free of Brainstorm. "A Megatron who not only led the Decepticons during the war but turned Autobot near the end of it." Vector paused, grinning to himself. "Yes, I do believe that may work."

"Now we just need an Optimus," cheered Windblade. "That should be easy enough."

"Yeah, just pick any world and there we go, right?" chuckled Brainstorm.

"Not necessarily," pointed Vector, stepping away. "The stronger the Prime connection the better, and there is only such Prime that fits that bill."

"The Optimus from before," whispered Bumblebee. "The one I remember, the one who you said did the connection before, the 'Young Prime,' right?"

"Precisely," Vector grinned. "He is our best bet. We will need more than just Optimus and Megatron, we will also need a Matrix of Leadership."

"Doesn't Optimus have one?" Windblade asked.

"No, his world does not have such a thing."

"So, we need an Optimus, a Megatron and a Matrix. How hard can this be?" Brainstorm chuckled half heartily.


End file.
